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This photograph, taken by the Hubble Telescope, shows the supergiant, Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse is the 12th brightest star in the night sky.
Click on image for full size Image from the Hubble Space Telescope, reproduced with permission from AURA/STScI.

Betelgeuse: The Next Supernova?

What's in a Name:

Arabic for "shoulder of the giant". Could also mean "hand of al-jauza" where al-jauza is the Arabs' "Central One". Also known as the Martial Star.

Claim to Fame:

First star seen as a sphere instead of a point of light by the Hubble Space Telescope on March 3, 1995. 12th brightest star in the sky . Possibly will be the very next supernova in our galaxy.

Type of Star:

Orange-Red Supergiant (M2 Iab Spectral Class). 3300K surface temp.

How Far Away:

About 425 light years away

How Big:

630 times the sun's radius. Would overfill the orbit of Jupiter if placed at the sun's position in the solar system

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